NEW ORLEANS, La. (UCFKnights.com) -- Senior Kaeli Jones fired a 6-under 66 in the first round of the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate Sunday at English Turn Golf & Country Club. The 66 carded by Jones Sunday was her career-best round as a Knight and was just one stroke away from the school record for lowest score over 18 holes.
Jones holds a one-stroke edge in the tournament after 18 holes of play. She began play on the back nine and started like a house afire. Jones birdied her first four holes and five of her first six. She added another birdie on the back nine and did not tally a score over par for the entire day.
The red-hot first round for Jones helped lift UCF into a tie for fifth in the team standings of the 17-team event. The Knights are 6-over as a team and tied with No. 35 North Carolina State. No. 14 Florida (-5) and No. 11 Michigan State (-4) lead the way. No. 40 North Carolina (+4) and No. 12 Southern Cal (+5) are the only other teams in front of UCF. The Knights currently lead five other ranked teams, including No. 10 Oklahoma State, No. 22 (and AAC foe) Houston and No. 25 Miami.
Nicolette Donovan and Kayla Kozak turned in solid starts for the Knights. Both were 2-over par and currently sit in a tie for 35th place. The other UCF scoring total was carded by Ana Laura Collado who is +6 and tied for 64th. Anna Hack (+10, T84th) rounded out the Knights' lineup.
Monday's second round of the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate begins at 9 a.m., while the Knights tee off at 9:45 a.m.
